Germany is on high alert following the Brussels bombings. Security measures have been tightened at airports and railway stations as well as in areas bordering Belgium and the Netherlands.
The head of a German police trade union says Europe now faces a long period of terror. EU police and security forces, he urged, must be better prepared, properly equipped and guided from a unified defense center.
Germany, which has seen no jihadist terror attacks until recently, would surely be targeted by terrorists, Wendt warned. โLondon, Madrid, Paris, now Brussels. German cities will not avoid [similar attacks] in the long run as well.โ
To counter the imminent terror threat, preemptive measures are required,
Last December, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere announced he was forming BFE+, short for Beweissicherungs- und Festnahmeeinheit plus (โEvidence collection and arrest unit plusโ).
The BFE+ was said to comprise 50 operators based at federal police base Blumenberg near Berlin, with another four teams of the same strength placed across the country.
However, German police and anti-terror units have to be adequately equipped, including improved weaponry such as bulletproof vests, helmets and armored vehicles.
Facing the terror threat across the continent, EUโs security agencies should increase cooperation.
Earlier on Tuesday, German Interior Minister de Maiziรจre told ARD TV channel that European countries need a system of personal data exchange compiled by security services of the EU member states.